2012 United States Grand Prix
|poletime = 1:35.657 |fastestlap = 1:39.349 |fastestlapdriver = Sebastian Vettel |fastestlapnation = GER |fastestlapteam = |fastestlapnumber = 56 |winner = Lewis Hamilton |winnernation = GBR |winnerteam = |second = Sebastian Vettel |secondteam = |secondnation = GER |third = Fernando Alonso |thirdteam = |thirdnation = ESP }} The 2012 United States Grand Prix was the 19th and penultimate race of the 2012 Formula One Season. It was the inaugural event held at the newly built Circuit of the Americas, and the first United States Grand Prix since . It was the 34th Formula One event run under the title of United States Grand Prix, and the 63rd race in the United States altogether. Sebastian Vettel took pole position ahead of Lewis Hamilton, with Fernando Alonso qualifying ninth. Alonso started seventh, as Romain Grosjean and, in a tactical move, Felipe Massa, both received five-place gearbox penalties. Hamilton won the race, taking the lead from Vettel with fourteen laps remaining. Vettel finished second, with Alonso driving another strong race to achieve another podium, albeit nearly 40 seconds down on the leading pair, with teammate Massa also recovering strongly to finish fourth. As a result, Vettel managed to extend his championship lead over Alonso by three points to thirteen. required only four points from the race to win their third constructors' title, and with Vettel coming second they achieved the feat. The event was Sebastian Vettel's 100th race. __TOC__ Background }}}}}}} | }}}}}} | | |} Formula One returned to the United States for the first since since , where the race was held at Indianapolis. The idea of a race in Austin, Texas was first proposed in 2010, and the Circuit of the Americas broke ground on January 2, 2011. It was completed on September 21, 2012 and officially opened a month later, with American motor racing legend and the country's only living F1 championship winner, Mario Andretti, driving the circuit in a Lotus 79. As for the championship battle, Sebastian Vettel, who was competing in his 100th race, led Fernando Alonso by ten points after the former's impressive comeback up the field at the . Vettel's team, , required just four points take their third consectutive constructors' title. The DRS zone was the long back straight between turns 11 and 12. Entry list The full entry list for the is shown below: Practice Overview FP1 FP2 FP3 Practice Times Qualifying Q1 Q2 Q3 Qualifying Results ;Notes: * * — Romain Grosjean received a five-place grid penalty for a gearbox change, and Felipe Massa received the same penalty when Ferrari broke the FIA seal on his gearbox in order to maximise Fernando Alonso's grid position. Grid Notes: * Romain Grosjean received a five-place grid penalty for an unscheduled gearbox change (qualified fourth). † tactically removed the seal on Felipe Massa's gearbox, incurring a five-place grid penalty for the Brazilian (qualified seventh). This moved Fernando Alonso up to seventh and onto the clean side of the grid. Race Report Results Milestones * Sebastian Vettel's 100th race. * Romain Grosjean's 25th race. * 's third Contructors' title. ** Also their third consecutive title. ** In doing so, they became the first team to win their first three titles in consecutive seasons. Standings after the race Notes Category:2012 Grands Prix Category:United States Grand Prix Category:Grand Prix articles Category:Formula One races in the United States